With the New Year’s special now behind us, ‘Doctor Who’ fans are settling in for a rather long drought as we wait for the next season. Owing to the production schedule, the twelfth season isn’t expected to debut until early 2020, meaning that ‘Resolution’ is the only new ‘Who’ we’ll have for at least a year. But this has always been a show – and a fandom, for that matter – with one eye firmly on the horizon, so it’s hardly surprising that Season Twelve teases have already begun.
These early hints were, naturally, dropped by showrunner Chris Chibnall at a special screening of ‘Resolution’. The first was in regard to a specific storyline, or more accurately, a specific character. Asked by an audience member about Yaz’s future and the possibility of her returning to the Sheffield police force, Chibnall remarked that it was “a really good question,” before adding that “some of these questions may be answered in the forthcoming season.” The resolution of this particular plot point may not be as straightforward as it appears, though, as Yaz actress Mandip Gill noted that “If I get my job back, that means I have to leave the TARDIS!” So it certainly seems that there might be enough material for an entire episode (Or even a preview of the first companion exit of the Thirteenth Doctor’s era?) here.
The next was a bit more general. Chibnall famously instituted a moratorium on the use of established villains during his first year in charge. The return of the Daleks in ‘Resolution’ would seem to have put those days behind us, but you can never be too sure. When a young fan at the screening questioned the recent absence of the series’ classic monsters, Chibnall playfully replied “Well, maybe we’ll do some, then. I’ll have a think.” Coy as ever, but based on how Chibnall has discussed such matters with regard to the eleventh season (notably reiterating that no classic monsters would appear in the season before questioning whether or not the special technically counts as part of the season) this is probably as close as we could ask for to proper confirmation, especially at this stage. It’s not official until it’s official, but it seems we can reasonably expect to see some classic monsters in 2020.
Be sure to check back with ScienceFiction.com for more on the future of ‘Doctor Who’ as it becomes available!
